Approximately 2000 Ecuadorian farmers who suffered physical and mental injuries and property damage as a result of aerial spraying of toxic pesticides on or near their land brought Alien Tort Statute and state law claims against DynCorp, a U.S. government contractor.

Terry Collingsworth, Counsel for the Plaintiffs and Executive Director of International Rights Advocates, hailed the trial as a positive step forward, saying, "A jury will finally get the chance to hear the evidence that DynCorp aerially sprayed a toxic poison that was designed to kill hardy coca plants on thousands of Ecuadorian farms and killed their crops, their animals and caused untold misery for the farmers and their families...This is an historic case — a finding against DynCorp will bring justice to the Ecuadorean farmers who have been waiting a long time to have their day in court." To read more about the case, see "Ecuador Farmers Sue US Defense Contractor Dyncorp over Toxic Fumigation," published April 3, 2017 in Telesur, here: http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Ecuador-Farmers-Sue-US-Defense-Con...